Human Rights organisations to push European governments to revise policies of declaring Pakistan safe for minorities

Leading human rights organisations are gearing up to push he governments of the European countries to revise their policies to declare Pakistan a safe country for the religious minorities. Human rights organisation- Amnesty International and many others will be laying great emphasis on the fact that the European countries should reconsider their course of action before deporting Pakistani minorities’ members back to the country.

The human rights organisations assert that Pakistan is one of the most awful countries for the religious minorities. Furthermore, these human rights advocating organisations see Afghanistan and Bangladesh with the same viewpoint as they see Pakistan.

According to the World Watch List 2016, Pakistan has been assigned top position on the list of most violence against Christians. In term of religion-based violence against Christians; Pakistan along with Nigeria remained on top of this list; followed by Iraq, Syria, Myanmar, Central African Republic, Egypt, Mexico, Sudan, and India.

Owing to deteriorating situation for the religious minorities in Pakistan; U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) issued a report which indicated that Christians in Pakistan are subjected to intolerance, at all levels even at the school level. A major concern was raised regarding the religious prejudice and intolerance against Christians and Hindus is being promoted in public school textbooks in Pakistan.

Additionally, while speaking about the persecution of religious minorities in the Pakistan, the USCIRF Chairman – Robert George said: “There is no doubt that Pakistan is a systematic ongoing egregious violator of human rights. Look at some of the terrible things that have gone on and that go on year in and year out in Pakistan — either with the government’s complicity or the government turning a blind eye as thugs and mobs and terrorist groups violate the religious freedom of vulnerable minorities.”

“Of all the countries that we have recommended that have so far not been designated as CPC’s, I, myself, put Pakistan at the very top of the list,” George added. “If the State Department said, ‘We will give you one, which one do you want?’ I would have to say it would be Pakistan.”

A senior Pakistani rights activist says that she is persuaded that the situation minorities is dire in the country. She went on to explain that there is a overabundance of violations of religious and human rights in the Baluchistan province, where marginalized religious communities such as Christians, Ahmadis, Shias, Hazaras, Ismaelis etc are subjected to violence. Sindh and Punjab provinces are not lagging behind. Whereas, frequent incidents involving persecution of religious minorities have been reported from KPK as well.

She expressed a desire that this is about time, when the Pakistani government along with all four provincial governments should take effective steps to alleviate country’s religious minorities from the constant menace of religion-based persecution, which they have been facing now for decades.